Sediment Characterization and Environmental Compliance Support for Maintenance Dredging of Five Hawaii Commercial Harbors

• USEPA Concurrence for Ocean Disposal
• Section 7 Endangered Species Consultation
• Essential Fish Habitat Consultation
• National Environmental Policy Act and Associated Laws
• On-Site Protected Species Monitoring

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pacific Ocean Division (Corps) is responsible for maintaining the design depths of the federal channels in Hawaii’s Commercial Harbors. More than 15 years had elapsed since the Corps’ last maintenance dredging effort. Beginning in February 2014, Kevin Kelly managed an extensive effort on an aggressive time scale to prepare all required State and Federal environmental compliance requirements for the dredging and disposal of dredged material for five commercial and one small boat Harbor across four Hawaiian Islands. This included assisting in the development of Best Management Practices to minimize impacts from sedimentation and turbidity on water quality and the benthic habitat, limiting the spread of invasive species, avoiding impacts to special aquatic sites including corals and seagrass, and mitigating for adverse impacts to humpback whales, sea turtles and sea birds.

Mr. Kelly prepared sampling and analysis plans for sediment characterization as required to obtain agency concurrence for both U.S. EPA ocean disposal and Hawaii Department of Health land-based disposal of dredge material. Mr. Kelly proposed an innovative modified Tier III sampling plan to meet all State and Federal regulatory requirements for dredged material disposal in a condensed timeframe that saved the Corps $500K in analytical expenses, while meeting the Corps’ aggressive dredging schedule for this large action. Mr. Kelly conducted and managed a 27-day field sampling effort across the four main Hawaiian Islands, acting as the Site Health and Safety Officer and managing nearly 200 discrete and composite sediment core samples for analytical and biological analysis. Mr. Kelly worked closely with both the analytical and biological laboratories to ensure the modified Tier III sampling was followed and managed the quality control process of the laboratory reports to ensure EPA acceptance of the data. Mr. Kelly managed the preparation of the subsequent sediment analysis reports as part of EPA-approval of ocean disposal and assisted the Corps with all inter-agency consultations through receipt of the concurrence letter.

Mr. Kelly managed a team of four marine resource experts and prepared numerous sections of a Biological Assessment and Essential Fish Habitat Assessment as required by the Endangered Species Act and Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Management and Conservation Act. Mr. Kelly participated in extensive formal consultations with NOAA Fisheries, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources on sea turtle takes and habitat impacts, specifically those related to corals and seagrass. As part of the requirements under NOAA Fisheries Biological Opinion, Mr. kelly prepared a protected species monitoring plan and provided 24-hour trained dredge monitors for the entire 47-day dredge action. Mr. Kelly managed the preparation of a water quality monitoring plan and State of Hawaii Water Quality Certification applications for each of the harbors per the Clean Water Act, as well as the preparation of five harbor-specific Environmental Assessments as required under the National Environmental Policy Act. Mr. Kelly participated in all pre-construction meetings with the Corps and represented the Army Corps in all resource agency informal and formal consultations with State and Federal resource agencies.

All required consultations were completed prior to the start of the project, dredging occurred between March 14 and was completed on April 27 with no setbacks or controversies, and the project was deemed highly successful by the Commander of the 14^th Coast Guard District.